Mark 14 Examination and Scrutiny = GRACE

Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.

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Mark 14:1-72
The Plan to Kill Jesus 1 It was now only two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and teachers of the law were trying to find a trick to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2But they said, "We must not do it during the feast, because the people might cause a riot." A Woman with Perfume for Jesus 3Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, who had a skin disease. While Jesus was eating there, a woman approached him with an alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She opened the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus' head. 4Some who were there became upset and said to each other, "Why waste that perfume? 5It was worth a full year's work. It could have been sold and the money given to the poor." And they got very angry with the woman. 6Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why are you troubling her? She did an excellent thing for me. 7You will always have the poor with you, and you can help them anytime you want. But you will not always have me. 8This woman did the only thing she could do for me; she poured perfume on my body to prepare me for burial. 9I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached in all the world, what this woman has done will be told, and people will remember her." Judas Becomes an Enemy of Jesus 10One of the twelve apostles, Judas Iscariot, went to talk to the leading priests to offer to hand Jesus over to them. 11These priests were pleased about this and promised to pay Judas money. So he watched for the best time to turn Jesus in. Jesus Eats the Passover Meal 12It was now the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread when the Passover lamb was sacrificed. Jesus' followers said to him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?" 13Jesus sent two of his followers and said to them, "Go into the city and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14When he goes into a house, tell the owner of the house, 'The Teacher says: Where is my guest room in which I can eat the Passover meal with my followers?' 15The owner will show you a large room upstairs that is furnished and ready. Prepare the food for us there." 16So the followers left and went into the city. Everything happened as Jesus had said, so they prepared the Passover meal. 17In the evening, Jesus went to that house with the twelve. 18While they were all eating, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will turn against me - one of you eating with me now." 19The followers were very sad to hear this. Each one began to say to Jesus, "I am not the one, am I?" 20Jesus answered, "It is one of the twelve - the one who dips his bread into the bowl with me. 21The Son of Man will die, just as the Scriptures say. But how terrible it will be for the person who hands the Son of Man over to be killed. It would be better for him if he had never been born." The Lord's Supper 22While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and thanked God for it and broke it. Then he gave it to his followers and said, "Take it; this is my body." 23Then Jesus took a cup and thanked God for it and gave it to the followers, and they all drank from the cup. 24Then Jesus said, "This is my blood which is the new agreement that God makes with his people. This blood is poured out for many. 25I tell you the truth, I will not drink of this fruit of the vineF38 again until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." 26After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus' Followers Will Leave Him 27Then Jesus told the followers, "You will all stumble in your faith, because it is written in the Scriptures: 'I will kill the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter. 'Zechariah 13:7 28But after I rise from the dead, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." 9Peter said, "Everyone else may stumble in their faith, but I will not." 30Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, tonight before the rooster crows twice you will say three times you don't know me." 31But Peter insisted, "I will never say that I don't know you! I will even die with you!" And all the other followers said the same thing. Jesus Prays Alone 32Jesus and his followers went to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, "Sit here while I pray." 33Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be very sad and troubled. 34He said to them, "My heart is full of sorrow, to the point of death. Stay here and watch." 35After walking a little farther away from them, Jesus fell to the ground and prayed that, if possible, he would not have this time of suffering. 36He prayed, "Abba, F39 Father! You can do all things. Take away this cupF40 of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want." 37Then Jesus went back to his followers and found them asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn't you stay awake with me for one hour? 38Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. The spirit wants to do what is right, but the body is weak." 39Again Jesus went away and prayed the same thing. 40Then he went back to his followers, and again he found them asleep, because their eyes were very heavy. And they did not know what to say to him. 41After Jesus prayed a third time, he went back to his followers and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? That's enough. The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinful people. 42Get up, we must go. Look, here comes the man who has turned against me." Jesus Is Arrested 43At once, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve apostles, came up. With him were many people carrying swords and clubs who had been sent from the leading priests, the teachers of the law, and the older Jewish leaders. 44Judas had planned a signal for them, saying, "The man I kiss is Jesus. Arrest him and guard him while you lead him away." 45So Judas went straight to Jesus and said, "Teacher!" and kissed him. 46Then the people grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 47One of his followers standing nearby pulled out his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48Then Jesus said, "You came to get me with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal. 49Every day I was with you teaching in the Temple, and you did not arrest me there. But all these things have happened to make the Scriptures come true." 50Then all of Jesus' followers left him and ran away. 51A young man, wearing only a linen cloth, was following Jesus, and the people also grabbed him. 52But the cloth he was wearing came off, and he ran away naked. Jesus Before the Leaders 53The people who arrested Jesus led him to the house of the high priest, where all the leading priests, the older Jewish leaders, and the teachers of the law were gathered. 54Peter followed far behind and entered the courtyard of the high priest's house. There he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire. 55The leading priests and the whole Jewish council tried to find something that Jesus had done wrong so they could kill him. But the council could find no proof of anything. 56Many people came and told false things about him, but all said different things - none of them agreed. 57Then some people stood up and lied about Jesus, saying, 58"We heard this man say, 'I will destroy this Temple that people made. And three days later, I will build another Temple not made by people.' " 59But even the things these people said did not agree. 60Then the high priest stood before them and asked Jesus, "Aren't you going to answer? Don't you have something to say about their charges against you?" 61But Jesus said nothing; he did not answer. The high priest asked Jesus another question: "Are you the Christ, the Son of the blessed God?" 62Jesus answered, "I am. And in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God, the Powerful One, and coming on clouds in the sky." 63When the high priest heard this, he tore his clothes and said, "We don't need any more witnesses! 64You all heard him say these things against God. What do you think?" They all said that Jesus was guilty and should die. 65Some of the people there began to spit at Jesus. They blindfolded him and beat him with their fists and said, "Prove you are a prophet!" Then the guards led Jesus away and beat him. Peter Says He Doesn't Know Jesus 66While Peter was in the courtyard, a servant girl of the high priest came there. 67She saw Peter warming himself at the fire and looked closely at him. Then she said, "You also were with Jesus, that man from Nazareth." 68But Peter said that he was never with Jesus. He said, "I don't know or understand what you are talking about." Then Peter left and went toward the entrance of the courtyard. And the rooster crowed.F41 69The servant girl saw Peter there, and again she said to the people who were standing nearby, "This man is one of those who followed Jesus." 70Again Peter said that it was not true. A short time later, some people were standing near Peter saying, "Surely you are one of those who followed Jesus, because you are from Galilee, too." 71Then Peter began to place a curse on himself and swear, "I don't know this man you're talking about!" 72At once, the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: "Before the rooster crows twice, you will say three times that you don't know me." Then Peter lost control of himself and began to cry.
FOOTNOTES:F39 fruit of the vine - Product of the grapevine; this may also be translated "wine." F40 Abba - Name that a Jewish child called his father.F41 cup - Jesus is talking about the terrible things that will happen to him. Accepting these things will be very hard, like drinking a cup of something bitter.F42 And…crowed. - A few, early Greek copies leave out this phrase.
Copyright Statement: New Century Version

~ Lena’s Journalin’~
When the enemies of your soul say to one another, (basing their judgments upon your daily life actions, both private and public), “hey, who’s their daddy?” Would they see more of the character of Christ alive in you, or the character of your old father, the devil? If they were examining your life to find something to hold against you, would your sin be repented of and found under the blood of the Lamb? Or would your sin be the evidence they see, unrepented of and alive as a daily part of you?
The enemy of our souls does look to find something in us that is unrighteous and unholy. We love, serve and live for, a Holy God, who has made provision for every sin on earth known and unknown to mankind. There’s nothing like the blood of Jesus, it covers all (repented of)sin!
There’s a scripture that says-
2 Cor 7: 9Now I'm glad--not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss. 10Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets. 11And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart. 12And that is what I was hoping for in the first place when I wrote the letter. My primary concern was not for the one who did the wrong or even the one wronged, but for you--that you would realize and act upon the deep, deep ties between us before God.
In NKJV it says it this way, Godly sorrow leads men to repent, not just feel bad, feel caught and be sorry that I was found out. No, let the enemy of my soul examine me and find nothing unrepented of in me, and if he does find something at least I can now see it, repent of it and put it under the blood with all of my other sins.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture of Mary. I LOVE Mary, I LOVE JESUS. Mary was a sinner, everyone knew it, but she fell in love with Jesus. She had not a thing to give Him except her sin. How do you think she bought the jar and perfume? It was not gotten honestly, it was her life’s savings, savings form income of her sin! Not too long ago she was forgiven of a life of uncleanness. The religious people of the day would have stoned her, left her dead in her trespasses and sins, judged her unworthy to live. She knew that well, well enough to be tremendously thankful! She brought all she ever was together and put it in a small box, one of value, yet her life was esteemed of no value, she turned it into value to show Him her great love for Him. She knew of covenant and made an exchange, a life for a life! She gave the treachery of hers for His. She knew it was not an even trade, He knew it was not an even trade. This story is an amazing picture of the great love of God for you and me. She had revelation of His death’s purpose before He even died for the forgiveness of mankind!
There is a question for us today, as we consider and remember the body and blood of our Lord. Will you take the cup? Will you eat the bread? “My meat and My drink is to do the will of Him who sent Me”, and “Lord, please allow this cup pass from Me, nevertheless, not my will but Thine be accomplished.” Jesus’ life was given for all mankind. If we are Christians, so is ours.
We’d all like to sail through without a test. We’d like to pass through life with no proving, but a true faith in Christ, a true follower must be proven by God through men. Enemies will test man to see who his daddy is. Satan stood in the presence of God, saying let me touch Job and we’ll see whether his faith in You as His Father is true. Job was a man, who passed a test of His faith. It was a horrendous test, but if we are in Christ we also can pass, for it is not a test of self, it is a test of faith in God. The biggest test of all is the test of the will, the will to do His good pleasure.
Can the enemy scatter you if someone above you stumbles or falls, or is going through a test?
If the Son of man had to be handed over to sinful people, why would we avoid the same?
We don’t like being scrutinized, judged, persecuted, of course not, but that we’d come out as gold tried in fire, we’d become of such great value to our Lord, He’d be further glorified. Which matters more to us, what men say or think of us, or what God thinks? Jesus went before the scrutiny of men, they could not find a thing in Him, notta thing! Can they find something in you? Listen to their mockery and then take it to God and say, Lord is any part of this true about my life? If it is, then at least be willing to hear it and use it for a pathway of repentance. Remember God even used a donkey to speak His words of direction to a man! Let God speak however and through whomever. Don’t be choosey, receive His voice through an unexpected avenue, and you’ll be better for it. Better to be beaten down here than judged by God later on. Eternal judgment is unchangeable; judgments here and now can be reversed and changed, thank God! To not come under examination is to deny Him.

Daily Repetitive Verses -
John 17:15 I'm not asking you to take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one.